The invention relates to a barrier surgical drape for use with a speculum or retractor in the performance of surgery. The drape is denoted hereafter as a speculum or retractor drape.
The drape of the invention is applicable to the performance of surgery by attaching or adhering the drape to the retractor or speculum. It thereby produces a watertight seal to the speculum and to the surrounding tissue. The drape can be used in a number of surgical procedures such as in ocular surgery with an eyelid speculum, in gynecologic, or obstetrical surgery by attachment to a vaginal speculum, in laporoscopic or endoscopic surgery, otologic or laryngologic surgery, nasal surgery, orthopedic or neurosurgery, to provide a sterile field throughout the performance of the surgical procedure.
Surgical procedures are typically performed after the tissue is cleansed with antiseptic solutions and draped with sterile drapes of cloth or plastic material. Typically the plastic material is adherent to the tissues to act as a barrier to contamination of the surgical site. The drape usually has an opening for incising the exposed tissue and for manipulation of the tissues within this opening. After the entry into the tissues the use of fluid, suction or wiping during the surgical procedure often results in disruption of the adhesion of the drape to the external tissues. When a speculum or retractor is used to hold tissues away from the surgical field, no barrier between the speculum and the surgical site exists when the drape loses its adhesion. Often the drape may bunch together and obscure the view of the surgeon. The lack of adhesion may result in bacterial entry into the surgical wound, possibly causing infection. In ocular surgery the lid retractors or speculums will often not hold the eyelashes away from the surgical site thereby impeding the performance of the procedures.
Plastic drapes from different manufacturers have varying degrees of adhesion to underlying tissue surfaces and their loss of adhesion causes the sterile drape surrounding the surgical site often to loosen from the underlying tissues and impede the movement of the surgical instruments by obstructing the path to the surgical site. The result of these difficulties with surgical draping produces increased difficulty in performing the surgery, increased time wasted in adjusting the drape resulting in prolonged operative and anesthesia times, placing patients in longer procedures.
It is an object of the invention to provide a barrier drape which attaches to or is integral with surgical speculums or retractors to minimize the problems associated with present surgical drapes as described above.
A particular object of the invention is to provide such a drape which is adapted for speculums or retractors used during a surgical procedure.
A feature of the invention is to provide a drape which is specially adapted to attach directly to the retractor or speculum, and which may also be attached to an underlying surgical drape which is adhered to the area surrounding a surgical field.
According to the invention, a speculum drape is provided which comprises a sheet of drape material having attachment means, such as, tabs having adhesive on one surface enabling attachment of the drape to a surgical speculum or retractor, and adhesive on the other surface for attaching the drape to surrounding tissue or to a surgical drape underneath the speculum drape.
In further accordance with the invention, when the retractor or speculum is to be used only once, the speculum drape can be integral with the speculum or retractor such that the barrier function of the drape is contiguous with the speculum or retractor.
In further accordance with the invention, the speculum drape may have channeling devices, such as wicks, tubes or pockets to divert irrigation or bodily fluids from the surgical site thereby keeping the surgical site dry, and allowing for improved visualization of the surgical site by the surgeon.
In further accordance with the invention, the speculum drape prevents the intrusion of the eyelashes in eye surgery thereby stopping the unwanted lashes from obscuring or interfering with the surgery.
In further accordance with the invention, the speculum drape provides sterility by adhering directly to the area surrounding the surgical site and to the speculum.